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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.

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: march · charge · current · calf · stem · season · temple · tear

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. current — of water
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. season — in sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stem — to come from
  15. march — music
  16. current — electric
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — of the year
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. charge — a price
  24. temple — a place of worship

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