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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: charge · shower · fine · chair · cue · wind · chest · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — a price
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fine — all right
  6. chest — a box
  7. wind — moving air
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. shower — rain
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — soda
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — a signal

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