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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. current — happening now
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — electric
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. charge — a price
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — of water
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bear — to put up with

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