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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spring — the season
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — all right
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — a group
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. band — a ring
  16. spring — a coil
  17. club — for golf
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. face — part of the head

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