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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. band — a music group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — electricity
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — a price
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a great time

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