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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 · lie · saw · present · bark · chair · scale · last

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — to recline
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bark — to shout
  7. present — there
  8. charge — electricity
  9. last — final
  10. present — a gift
  11. last — finally
  12. present — the time now
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. scale — size or range
  16. charge — a price
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. last — to go on
  23. scale — in music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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