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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. charge — a price
  3. file — a tool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — child
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — a skill
  11. charge — in control
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rule — government
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. rule — a law
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. craft — boats
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chair — a leader

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