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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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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: firm · stem · mouse · band · charge · rock · spring · wound

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — steady
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rock — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. firm — decided
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. stem — of a plant

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