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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 · stick · fall · sharp · band · patient · bulb · wound

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — the season
  14. band — a ring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a music group
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. sharp — with an edge

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