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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: last · hand · lean · stand · charge · chest · mouse · tube

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — in control
  5. last — finally
  6. charge — a price
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — help
  11. tube — a container
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chest — of your body
  17. last — final
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chest — a box
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mouse — the animal

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