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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 · prune · stem · charge · mate · stick · spell · lash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — in control
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. season — of the year
  11. mate — a friend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — letters
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — a price
  23. season — in sport
  24. mate — to breed

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