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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. charge — a price
  3. fine — high quality
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mug — to rob
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. drill — the tool
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — the cause
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mug — a face
  19. fine — all right
  20. root — of a plant
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — the tool

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