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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: mouse · stem · wound · chair · charge · mate · mark · snap

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stem — to come from
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mark — a trace
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wound — an injury
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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