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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · can · game · charge · patient · spring · bowl · face

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. face — part of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. charge — a price
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. face — to confront
  13. spring — a coil
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — the season
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. charge — in control
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mouse — for a computer

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