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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: patient · stick · charge · sharp · mug · face

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — a face
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — clever
  11. face — to confront
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — to rob
  16. face — part of the head
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. charge — a price

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