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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mug — to rob
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spell — letters
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — temperature
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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