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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. cold — an illness
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — in control
  11. kick — in football
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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