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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: racket · snap · charge · stem · straw · trunk · club · bear

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. charge — electricity
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — in control

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