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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: rock · saw · mug · roll · tear · charge · fork · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. tear — to rip
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — electricity
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — a price
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rock — music
  24. roll — a cake

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