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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: cell · patient · charge · chair · stick · stand · mouse · arm

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. charge — in control
  2. stand — to bear
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. charge — a price
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  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