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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: shower · scale · straw · bulb · date · charge · stem · lie

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — the fruit
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. charge — a price
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — electricity
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. shower — rain
  14. scale — in music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. charge — in control
  24. lie — to recline

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