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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — a series
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — hasty
  22. charge — in control
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a handicraft

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