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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: charge · drill · chip · lie · stem · ruler · march · ground

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — the tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. drill — army training
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. march — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — a position

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