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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. capital — a city
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — money
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tube — a container
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fine — all right
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — the underground
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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