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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — to drill
  7. track — a song
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — a price
  11. ground — crushed
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — to go on
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. ground — the earth
  16. charge — in control
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — final
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rest — a break
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — a position

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