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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 · fall · can · cabinet · lash · staff · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — to handle
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. can — to be able to

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