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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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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — of water
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spring — a coil
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. charge — in control
  24. branch — a division

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