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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: cabinet · chair · charge · lash · race · can · suit · cue

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — a contest
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — for pool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — a leader
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cue — a hint

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