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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mug — a face
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stem — to come from
  13. drill — army training
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bass — low music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. drill — a practice
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wind — moving air
  24. charge — in control

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