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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 116 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
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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: stick · mine · mouse · charge · spring · sharp · rush · chair

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — a coil
  13. charge — in control
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chair — a leader

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