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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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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: net · bowl · ruler · fall · content · patient · hide · charge

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — electricity
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — a price
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fall — the season
  11. net — in sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. net — for catching
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. content — happy
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. charge — in control
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. net — after costs

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