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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: last · present · fan · rush · can · chair · file · charge

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. present — there
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. last — final
  16. file — a document
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — finally

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