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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: fan · charge · ruler · pitcher · land · stem · straw · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. land — ground
  9. charge — in control
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. charge — a price
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fan — a supporter

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