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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: charge · cap · wave · mug · chair · staff · rash · object

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mug — a cup
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. object — to protest
  10. mug — a face
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — in control
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. charge — electricity
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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