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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: scale · wake · toast · pass · charge · mug · cell · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mug — to rob
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — a trail
  11. toast — bread
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a cup
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cell — in biology
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mug — a face
  18. staff — employees
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. toast — the most admired

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