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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
468
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 · nail · stick · charge · board · bat · lean · mouse

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. board — to get on
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lean — thin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. board — a committee

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