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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 120 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: net · hide · staff · stem · mate · dip · last · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. net — after costs
  3. mate — to breed
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. last — final
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. staff — a stick
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mate — a friend
  14. last — finally
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — a partner
  24. last — to go on

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