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

Word bank: wind · stem · pound · mark · safe · dip · bowl · charge

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — in control
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — to sink
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — a price
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — to come from

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