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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: season · bound · tear · face · charge · stem · wake · ruler

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bound — certain
  8. face — part of the head
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — tied together
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — in control
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. tear — from crying
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. season — in sport
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — obliged

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