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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 · kid · race · trunk · scale · arm · object · stem

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. race — humankind
  10. scale — in music
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — electricity
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. object — to protest
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. charge — a price
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kid — child
  24. charge — in control

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