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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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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 · staff · pass · trunk · patient · stand · temple · clip

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. clip — to cut
  4. charge — in control
  5. staff — a stick
  6. clip — a video
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — for paper
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of a car
  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