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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 · tear · patient · board · cue · leaves · roll · hand

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cue — a signal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tear — from crying
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hand — help
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — a price
  14. cue — a hint
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cue — for pool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. roll — a list
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. tear — from crying
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. leaves — of a tree

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