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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — a price
  5. face — part of the head
  6. drill — army training
  7. board — to get on
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. face — to point toward
  11. board — a committee
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. face — to confront
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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