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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pop — soda
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lie — an untruth

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