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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: cue · charge · trunk · rash · stem · kick · can · bass

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bass — low music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. charge — a price
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — to come from
  12. can — a tin
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kick — in football
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stem — of a plant

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