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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 120 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: rush · sharp · fall · charge · pop · cell · patient · ball

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — in control
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pop — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — soda
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a dance

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