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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.

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: fine · patient · rush · pitcher · charge · cabinet · chair · face

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. charge — electricity
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — in control
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — hurry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — to hurry

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