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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. charge — a price
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — the animal
  7. track — a song
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — in control
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. charge — electricity
  19. roll — a list
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — hurry
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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