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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fine — high quality
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — all right
  9. charge — in control
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. charge — a price
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — finally
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. last — final
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — to go on
  24. cell — in biology

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