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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: lash · charge · spell · stem · mate · dip · march · wind

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. march — music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spell — magic
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a friend
  19. spell — a short time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — to come from
  23. charge — a price
  24. wind — to turn a key

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