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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: dip · patient · spell · cue · mine · charge · bat · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. spell — magic
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — for pool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cue — a hint
  22. charge — a price
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — to sink

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