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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. clip — for paper
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — to cut
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a great time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. clip — a video
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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