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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.

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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: toast · rest · charge · march · staff · kid · cue · patient

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — a stick
  4. charge — in control
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — a hint
  8. march — music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — a break
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — electricity
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — for pool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — bread
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — child
  24. patient — a sick person

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