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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — a price
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

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