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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. charge — in control
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — low music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. shower — rain
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — high quality
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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