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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: charge · scale · board · shower · chair · plane · cell · rush

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cell — in biology
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — in control
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. shower — rain
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. cell — a phone
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rush — to hurry

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