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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: charge · rest · stem · kick · chair · degree · safe · date

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kick — in football
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — in control
  13. rest — a break
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. degree — an amount
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — temperature
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stem — to come from
  23. charge — a price
  24. date — on the calendar

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