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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: patient · squash · charge · kid · rest · stock · wave · safe

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kid — child
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — in control
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — a break
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kid — to tease

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