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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: stem · rash · charge · mug · bat · mark · wind · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a face
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rash — a series
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. charge — in control
  24. bat — the animal

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