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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 120 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: charge · can · mate · stem · chip · nail · march · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chip — for betting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. march — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  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