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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 120 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: rash · mug · bass · fall · charge · wave · mate · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bass — low music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — a price
  17. mug — a face
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rash — a series

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