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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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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: rest · toast · charge · wave · patient · cell · swing · branch

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. branch — a division
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — a phone
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. swing — to play on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in biology

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