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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
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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: chair · wound · patient · lean · fine · charge · stock · wake

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. charge — in control
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — goods
  13. fine — all right
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stock — shares
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lean — thin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. charge — a price
  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