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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: tube · chip · lean · patient · charge · saw · bore · pitcher

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — a container
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — in control
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — a price

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