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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: wound · rash · arm · patient · charge · hand · stick · sharp

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — a price
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. charge — in control
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — a series
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — electricity

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