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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: rock · bat · charge · hand · bear · season · patient · can

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. charge — in control
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — music
  8. charge — a price
  9. bear — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. season — in sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bat — the animal

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