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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: patient · date · cabinet · rush · track · trunk · charge · tube

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — in control
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — a price
  19. track — to keep track
  20. date — the fruit
  21. track — a path
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  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