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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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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: pass · patient · toast · wind · charge · chair

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. charge — electricity
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chair — a leader
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. toast — bread
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — in control

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