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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · hide · patient · charge · cell · fork

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — soda
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in biology
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. fork — a garden tool

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