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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: stem · charge · mark · net · lash · file · lie · band

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. band — a ring
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. net — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — a grade
  12. net — for catching
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. band — a rubber band

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