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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: charge · chair · tear · craft · fan · hand · mark · firm

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. tear — to rip
  4. firm — decided
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — boats
  7. chair — a leader
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a skill
  10. charge — a price
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — a grade
  21. charge — in control
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. charge — electricity
  24. firm — steady

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