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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a match
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — to breed
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. court — of a king
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lean — thin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — a partner
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — wild animals
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. court — of law
  24. lean — to rest against

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