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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · pitcher · staff · bear · sharp · charge · patient · kid

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — a break
  4. kid — to tease
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kid — child
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. staff — employees
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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