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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: mouse · charge · chest · plane · chair · hand · patient · jam

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. charge — in control
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chest — a box
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. jam — in traffic

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