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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
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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: charge · patient · club · mouse · fan · sharp · cold · wax

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — a group
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. club — for golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — to grow
  11. sharp — clever
  12. charge — in control
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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