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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 · drill · mine · firm · staff · wake · fan · mouse

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. charge — a price
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. drill — army training
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. drill — a practice
  15. firm — decided
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — employees
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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