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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
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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: staff · toast · wake · bound · mouse · fan · charge · suit

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. toast — bread
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — certain
  12. charge — a price
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. charge — in control
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — a trail

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