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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — in control
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — the tool
  10. key — in music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. charge — a price
  15. suit — to fit
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. saw — the tool
  20. clip — for paper
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a friend

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