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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 116 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
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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: charge · cold · patient · staff · hide · nail · stem · face

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — to confront
  9. cold — not warm
  10. charge — electricity
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cold — an illness
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to point toward

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