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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · stem · nail · key · present · charge · fine · mine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — a price
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. charge — in control
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — in music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — a gift
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — a penalty

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