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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: bank · fine · charge · patient · land · race · chest · snap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. charge — in control
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — humankind
  7. land — a country
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. land — to come down
  12. race — a contest
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. chest — of your body
  18. land — ground
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fine — all right

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