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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 116 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: field · hide · kick · stem · charge · mug · spell · bark

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — a price
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spell — magic
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — farmland
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kick — in football
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mug — a cup
  19. charge — in control
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mug — a face
  24. kick — with a leg

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