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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. can — to be able to
  4. last — finally
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. charge — in control
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — final

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