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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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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: hide · chair · ruler · mate · chest · fine · charge · wind

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — a price
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — in control
  16. chest — a box
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chest — of your body

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