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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: chest · charge · trunk · hide · cabinet · cue · pass · board

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. board — to get on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. charge — in control
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — a committee
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — a permit

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