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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 116 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: patient · saw · sharp · cell · pit · calf · snap · charge

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. charge — a price
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cell — in biology
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — clever
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. charge — electricity
  24. sharp — exactly

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