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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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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 · wake · straw · chair · board · arm · rock · stem

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rock — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — in control
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — a committee
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — a price
  19. stem — to come from
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — a part of something

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