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

Word bank: net · patient · wind · arm · charge · bay · tube · mark

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — a trace
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — after costs
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. tube — the underground
  21. net — for catching
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — to pay attention

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