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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: lie · pitcher · saw · charge · stem · nail · game · fork

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — a match
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — to recline
  11. game — wild animals
  12. charge — in control
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — in a road
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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