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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: game · patient · charge · content · bore · cue · wax · temple

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. charge — in control
  3. content — happy
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — a price
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bore — to drill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. content — the amount
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cue — a signal
  24. game — a match

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