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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 112 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: wound · mug · patient · saw · mate · bowl · charge · nail

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. charge — a price
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. patient — a sick person

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