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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · patient · dip · content · chair · charge · kick · last

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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 — electricity
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — finally
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. kick — in football
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. charge — a price
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. last — final
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. last — to go on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — a leader
  21. content — happy
  22. dip — to sink
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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