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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. drill — the tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — a price
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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