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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 116 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 · chair · staff · fan · hand · bound · wave · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — in control
  9. net — after costs
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bound — obliged
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bound — certain
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — in sport
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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