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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 · staff · tube · trunk · firm · stand · key · straw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. firm — decided
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. key — in music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — a stick
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. charge — a price
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — for a lock
  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