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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: straw · bowl · stem · mug · charge · tube · current · saw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. current — of water
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stem — to come from
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. current — happening now
  18. charge — electricity
  19. current — electric
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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