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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.

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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: mark · chest · charge · stem · lash · stick · stand · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bound — obliged
  18. charge — a price
  19. chest — a box
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bound — certain

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