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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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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: trunk · wind · mark · row · mouse · chair · charge · race

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — in control
  9. row — a line
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — a price
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. row — to paddle
  22. charge — electricity
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mouse — the animal

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