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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
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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: charge · nail · craft · cabinet · patient · cell

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — in control
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. charge — electricity
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cell — in biology

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