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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: charge · content · fan · roll · chair · stick · stem · saw

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. charge — in control
  7. content — the amount
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — a leader
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fan — to cool the air

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