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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — rain
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. charge — in control
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to click
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rush — hurry
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. sharp — exactly

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