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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · ground · pop · charge · mouse · sharp · stem · mug

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pop — music
  10. ground — a position
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. charge — a price
  15. pop — soda
  16. mug — a face
  17. ground — the earth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. charge — electricity

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