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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: chest · rush · ball · cell · tear · bear · charge · object

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ball — a great time
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chest — a box
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — an aim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. tear — from crying

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