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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.

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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: cell · mark · last · fan · lean · chair · charge · rash

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — a price
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cell — a phone
  6. last — final
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — in control
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rash — a series
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — to go on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rash — hasty
  22. last — finally
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — to sit on

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