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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 124 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. bore — to tire
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. row — to paddle
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — a line
  22. bore — to drill
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. sharp — with an edge

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