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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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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: chest · bark · fan · present · charge · ruler · chair · tear

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — a gift
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — in control
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chest — a box
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — there
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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