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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
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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 · lash · mate · cell · fan · patient · game · chest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — a price
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chest — a box
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cell — in biology
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chest — of your body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cell — a phone
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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