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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: stem · charge · mug · clip · pound · wound · pit · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — in a race
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mug — a face
  11. clip — a video
  12. pound — a weight
  13. object — a thing
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — electricity
  17. object — an aim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stem — to come from

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