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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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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: chest · bay · content · charge · plane · fan · firm · rush

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. content — happy
  3. chest — a box
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — a company
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. content — the amount
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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