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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: pass · hand · charge · content · rule · cell · cap · safe

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — a lid
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rule — a law
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cell — in biology
  8. charge — in control
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — the amount
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — government
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cell — a phone

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