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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — part of the head
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — to confront
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — certain
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. key — in music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — obliged
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. kid — child
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. kid — to tease
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com