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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · charge · perch · stem · foot · file · board · stand

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — to bear
  3. charge — in control
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stem — to come from
  6. file — a document
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. board — a committee
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mine — for digging
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. file — a line of people

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