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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: bay · spring · charge · bank · lie · stem · rush · march

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spring — a coil
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. march — music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — the season
  24. bay — a horse colour

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