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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fall — the season
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — in control
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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