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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: scale · wave · fall · ball · charge · bat · lash · patient

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. charge — in control
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fall — the season
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. scale — in music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a dance
  24. patient — a sick person

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