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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. game — wild animals
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — a lid
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. game — a match
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — a thing

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