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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.

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: charge · season · bay · ruler · stem · bore · file · stock

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stock — goods
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a line of people
  5. charge — in control
  6. stem — to come from
  7. file — a document
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — to drill
  11. season — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. charge — a price
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. file — a tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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