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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · mark · rash · bear · land · arm · charge · chair

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. charge — in control
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mark — a grade
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — to come down
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. land — ground
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  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