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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
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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: mate · rock · row · stem · charge · craft · rash · drill

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. craft — boats
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stem — to come from
  12. drill — army training
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. charge — electricity
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — a price

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