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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.

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: rock · board · press · chair · trunk · charge · stem · squash

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. press — to push
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. press — a publisher
  7. squash — the sport
  8. press — newspapers
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. charge — in control
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. board — to get on
  16. rock — music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — to crush
  21. board — a committee
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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