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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 · lie · court · date · race · trunk · stem

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. charge — electricity
  5. race — humankind
  6. charge — in control
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — of a king
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. court — for sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stem — to come from
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — a price
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. staff — employees
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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