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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 · rule · chest · charge · rash · fork · hand · cell

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. charge — a price
  7. last — final
  8. charge — in control
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. rash — a series
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — electricity
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. hand — help

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