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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 120 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
468
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 · kick · craft · club · charge · cabinet · hide · spell

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spell — a short time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. club — a group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spell — magic
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. charge — a price
  14. club — for dancing
  15. spell — letters
  16. club — for golf
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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