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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: spring · bat · charge · deal · fan · rash · patient · present

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — to handle
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — electricity
  10. present — a gift
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — there
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. present — the time now
  24. deal — an agreement

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