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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — a price
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — in football
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — of water
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spring — the season
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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