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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: charge · hand · toast · patient · fine · lean · date · pound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — help
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. charge — a price
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. toast — bread
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — in cards
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — in control
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pound — a weight

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