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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: board · hand · charge · mark · firm · trunk · chair · wave

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — to get on
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hand — in cards
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. charge — in control
  14. firm — decided
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chair — a leader
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hand — help
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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