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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.

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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: stick · mate · patient · kid · hand · fan · rock · charge

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — a price
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kid — child
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — in control
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mate — to breed
  24. charge — electricity

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