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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · patient · can · chair · cue · tube · mouse · temple

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a hint
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. temple — side of the head

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