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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: rash · stick · suit · charge · sharp · patient · pop · cell

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — clothes
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — soda
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cell — in biology
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pop — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rash — a series
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. suit — to fit

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