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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: roll · chair · charge · trunk · key · stand · temple · arm

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — to bear
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. key — the most important part
  10. charge — electricity
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. key — for a lock
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. roll — a list
  16. key — in music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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