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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a cup
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a face
  9. can — to be able to
  10. charge — in control
  11. chair — a leader
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mug — to rob
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — a price
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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