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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: patient · cabinet · mug · charge · deal · lash · track · bat

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. track — a song
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bat — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. track — to keep track
  12. charge — in control
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a path
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mug — a cup
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — to handle
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  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