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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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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: stand · mug · bulb · patient · bore · wake · stock · charge

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — a price
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — goods
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. charge — in control
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mug — to rob
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — shares
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to tire
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — for spectators

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