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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 · charge · spring · chip · lash · fall · bulb · deal

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — electricity
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spring — a coil
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spring — the season
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. charge — a price
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. deal — to handle
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — of water
  24. chip — to eat

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