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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.

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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: snap · stem · lash · staff · lie · bore · charge · present

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — to recline
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. charge — a price
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — there
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. present — the time now
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. charge — in control
  24. present — a gift

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