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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 116 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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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 · cell · lash · can · file · board · charge · rest

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. board — to get on
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — a committee
  13. file — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a document
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cell — a phone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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