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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: mine · bear · drill · craft · chip · charge · sharp · stem

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — boats
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. craft — a skill
  6. drill — army training
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chip — to eat

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