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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: craft · tear · nail · arm · charge · chair · stick · root

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. root — of a word
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tear — from crying
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chair — a leader
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. craft — boats

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