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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: bay · prune · stem · stand · chair · race · spell · charge

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spell — letters
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — the arms race
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — a contest
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spell — a short time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — magic
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — to bear

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