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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: charge · deal · object · rule · patient · season · drill · kick

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rule — government
  3. object — to protest
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. charge — a price
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — of the year
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rule — a law
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. drill — army training
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — in football
  17. object — a thing
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. object — an aim
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. deal — to handle

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