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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: kid · snap · shower · charge · patient · key · bound · mug

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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. mug — to rob
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bound — tied together
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. charge — a price
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kid — child
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. key — for a lock
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — in control
  22. snap — to click
  23. bound — certain
  24. mug — a face

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