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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.

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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: charge · stem · bear · drill · swing · lean · object · net

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — after costs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. drill — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — for catching
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. object — an aim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. swing — music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lean — thin
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — army training
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. object — a thing

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