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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 · lean · content · rash · bay · file · chair · foot

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chair — a leader
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. content — happy
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — in control
  17. rash — a series
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — the amount
  20. charge — a price
  21. file — a tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. file — a document
  24. lean — to rest against

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