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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: dip · fall · charge · drill · stem · suit · wound · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wound — an injury
  3. drill — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. charge — a price
  6. suit — in cards
  7. charge — electricity
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fall — the season
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — in control
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stem — to come from
  23. suit — clothes
  24. dip — to dunk

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