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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: wound · scale · charge · wake · root · press · patient · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. root — of a word
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — the cause
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wound — an injury
  20. press — newspapers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — to push
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kick — in football

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