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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — in control
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cue — for pool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — a hint
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cue — a signal
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — child
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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