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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · stem · safe · charge · content · mark · spell · wake

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. charge — in control
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. content — the amount
  8. spell — magic
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. charge — a price
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — a grade
  16. content — happy
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spell — letters
  19. charge — electricity
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. safe — out of danger

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