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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: stem · straw · safe · clip · object · mark · charge · temple

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. clip — a video
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — in control
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a trace
  10. charge — a price
  11. mark — a grade
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — for paper
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — to protest
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stem — to come from
  24. object — an aim

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