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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: file · stem · safe · bass · rock · straw · chair · charge

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. file — a tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chair — a leader
  9. charge — in control
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rock — music
  18. file — a document
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — electricity

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