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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.

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 · mine · mug · straw · fan · patient · content · vault

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — happy
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — a price
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mug — a cup
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. content — the amount
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mine — for digging
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fan — a supporter

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