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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.

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: clip · ground · chest · squash · suit · hide · charge · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — a video
  4. charge — a price
  5. ground — crushed
  6. charge — electricity
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chest — of your body
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ground — the earth
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — in cards
  22. ground — a position
  23. chest — a box
  24. squash — the vegetable

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