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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mate — to breed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — high quality
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. scale — size or range
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a partner
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. charge — a price
  24. fine — all right

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