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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. sharp — clever
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stock — goods
  13. mate — a friend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — a partner
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — shares
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wave — of the sea

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