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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 116 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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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: chair · rule · kid · root · calf · charge · present · wind

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. present — there
  6. rule — a law
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — government
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — in control
  17. root — of a word
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. present — a gift
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. charge — a price
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chair — a leader

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