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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — in control
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — newspapers
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — a gift
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. charge — a price
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cue — a hint
  14. press — a publisher
  15. present — there
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cue — a signal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cue — for pool
  20. press — to push
  21. present — the time now
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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