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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: charge · mate · last · band · wind · chair · can · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — finally
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — final
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. charge — in control
  22. rest — a break
  23. chair — a leader
  24. band — a music group

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