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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: stem · chair · charge · wind · arm · bay · roll · rule

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — a law
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — in control
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rule — government

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