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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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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: chest · charge · mate · mine · arm · row · wax · firm

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chest — a box
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. row — a line
  13. firm — steady
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wax — to grow
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — a company
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. charge — a price
  21. mate — a friend
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — in control
  24. mate — a partner

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