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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · chest · cabinet · mouse · ruler · charge · fine · bat

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. charge — in control
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chest — a box
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mug — a face
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cabinet — ministers

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