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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: staff · mark · bore · charge · mine · ground · patient · chest

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bore — to drill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — a price
  15. chest — a box
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chest — of your body
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — in control
  24. staff — employees

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