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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: current · cold · charge · bank · chest · root · foot · stem

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chest — of your body
  3. root — of a word
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chest — a box
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. current — electric
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — of a river
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. current — happening now
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. current — of water
  24. cold — not warm

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