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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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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: chair · stick · charge · last · plane · suit · cell · toast

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cell — in biology
  4. toast — bread
  5. last — final
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. last — to go on
  10. cell — a phone
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. suit — to fit
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — finally
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in a prison

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