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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 116 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — a phone
  5. drill — army training
  6. charge — in control
  7. cell — in biology
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. current — electric
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — of water
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. charge — a price
  21. shower — rain
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. drill — a practice
  24. current — happening now

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