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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · capital · lean · cue · chair · swing · can · plane

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. plane — a tool
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cue — for pool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — in control
  9. lean — to bend
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. capital — a city
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. capital — money
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — a price
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — an aircraft

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