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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: pass · chest · rush · mark · sharp · game · staff · charge

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chest — a box
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chest — of your body
  11. game — a match
  12. charge — in control
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chest — of your body
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. sharp — clever
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — a thrill

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