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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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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: key · charge · bat · present · wind · wake · bowl · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wake — a trail
  3. key — in music
  4. present — there
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. present — the time now
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. key — the most important part
  16. charge — in control
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bat — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. charge — a price

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