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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: craft · trunk · chair · charge · lie · roll · wind · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. roll — a list
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lie — to recline
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — in control
  11. chair — a leader
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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