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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 · drill · mouse · jam · fall · mine · bear · chair

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. charge — in control
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fall — the season
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — army training
  24. mine — belonging to me

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