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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. present — the time now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — the season
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — in control

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