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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.

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: chair · rash · firm · tear · charge · mouse · bulb · cabinet

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. charge — in control
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — a series
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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