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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: charge · tube · fan · lash · patient · bound · staff · squash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tube — the underground
  3. charge — a price
  4. bound — tied together
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — in control
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bound — certain
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tube — a container

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