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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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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: stick · pass · charge · face · arm · saw · bank · chair

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. face — to confront
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pass — a permit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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