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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: present · charge · foot · object · race · cabinet · spell · chest

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — a short time
  6. race — the arms race
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spell — magic
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — there
  11. chest — a box
  12. charge — electricity
  13. object — an aim
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. present — a gift
  16. object — a thing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — humankind
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — letters
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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