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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 120 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: tear · arm · root · chair · stand · charge · temple · file

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. tear — from crying
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chair — a leader
  7. charge — a price
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a document
  19. charge — in control
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tear — to rip

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