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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — a price
  4. tear — from crying
  5. swing — in golf
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — clothes
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. suit — to fit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — for betting
  14. swing — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — to rip
  23. calf — a young animal
  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