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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. root — of a word
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. season — of the year
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — in sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hand — help
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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