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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: stick · wake · ground · mine · stem · date · charge · rest

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — in control
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — a break
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — a trail
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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