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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 120 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: patient · present · charge · key · row · mark · cell · calf

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — there
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — electricity
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a grade
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. present — the time now
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mark — a trace
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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