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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 120 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
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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: mug · wax · field · patient · charge · file · present · mark

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. field — for sport
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. present — a gift
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. field — a subject
  8. mark — a trace
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — farmland
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a line of people
  19. present — there
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. charge — a price
  24. mark — a grade

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