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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: chest · staff · fall · mate · board · charge · current · mouse

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. charge — electricity
  3. staff — a stick
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — in control
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — of water
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. charge — a price
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — to breed

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