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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: charge · rash · fine · straw · pitch · wake · patient · branch

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — electricity
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — all right
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitch — completely
  19. branch — a division
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rash — hasty
  24. patient — a sick person

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