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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.

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: mate · object · charge · degree · fan · wave · patient · cap

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cap — a hat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — a price
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cap — a lid
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — of ice
  13. object — an aim
  14. mate — to breed
  15. object — a thing
  16. degree — an amount
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wave — with your hand

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