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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: chest · bore · charge · can · stem · sharp · spring · lash

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. charge — in control
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — of water
  16. chest — a box
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — exactly

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