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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: suit · charge · tube · field · cell · bulb · wind · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. field — a subject
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. suit — in cards
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. field — farmland
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cell — a phone
  23. field — for 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