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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 120 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
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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: spell · tear · charge · game · file · pound · leaves · stem

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. tear — to rip
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. charge — in control
  12. spell — magic
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — to come from
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. file — a tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. file — a document
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spell — letters

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