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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 116 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: fan · stem · object · fine · ruler · leaves · charge · squash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. object — a thing
  8. fine — all right
  9. charge — in control
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. object — to protest
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. object — an aim
  18. fine — high quality
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — electricity
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — a stem cell

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