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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — a series
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mug — a face
  24. date — the fruit

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