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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: charge · lash · shower · fan · object · lean · patient · wake

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. shower — rain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — an aim
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — a price
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. object — to protest
  17. lean — thin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — a thing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — a supporter

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