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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: pit · last · rush · wake · charge · can · chest · content

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — finally
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. content — happy
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — in control

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