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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — money
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. roll — a list
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. charge — a price
  24. pound — a weight

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