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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — a grade
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. present — there
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tear — to rip
  19. charge — in control
  20. can — a tin
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — a tin

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