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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 · lie · rash · fan · charge · straw · wax · drill

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — in control
  16. drill — army training
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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