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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: board · leaves · object · charge · row · arm · cell · kid

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kid — child
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — to protest
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — in control
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. row — a line
  11. charge — electricity
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. charge — a price
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kid — to tease
  17. object — an aim
  18. cell — in biology
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cell — a phone

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