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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: fan · degree · charge · safe · patient · nail · hand · cell

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. degree — from a university
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — help
  10. charge — in control
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. charge — a price
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cell — a phone
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cell — in biology
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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