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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 120 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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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 · cell · suit · charge · mark · court · wake · stem

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. suit — in cards
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. court — of law
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — for sport
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. court — of a king
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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