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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · lash · season · charge · bark · coach · chest · capital

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — of the year
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. capital — a city
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chest — a box
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — of your body
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — a price
  20. season — in sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lash — to lash out

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