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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 · chip · last · foot · bank · roll · tear · stem

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bank — for money
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — electricity
  8. last — final
  9. tear — to rip
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stem — to come from
  12. last — to go on
  13. roll — a list
  14. chip — to eat
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — a price
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — finally
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chip — for betting
  24. charge — in control

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