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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: charge · land · patient · pound · fall · wave · face · craft

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — ground
  3. pound — a weight
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — to confront
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — in control
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fall — the season
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. land — to come down
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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