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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: face · wave · capital · bear · wound · patient · racket · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. capital — a city
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. capital — money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — in control
  17. face — to confront
  18. charge — a price
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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