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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: wind · charge · ruler · stem · wound · safe · net · deal

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. charge — a price
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — for catching
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — after costs
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. charge — in control
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — to come from
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ruler — for measuring

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