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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: toast · patient · deal · cap · content · current · charge · lash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. content — happy
  4. charge — in control
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. toast — bread
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cap — of ice
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — electric
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. charge — a price
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — an agreement

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