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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.

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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: rest · toast · charge · wave · patient · cell

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. charge — electricity
  5. toast — bread
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. charge — in control
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — of the sea

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