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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 · jam · tube · cabinet · suit · cell · row · fall

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cell — a phone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. row — a line
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fall — the season
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. charge — electricity
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — a price
  19. tube — a container
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. jam — in traffic

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