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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: stem · tear · pitcher · root · snap · mark · charge · perch

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. root — of a word
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mark — a trace
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — the cause
  19. charge — a price
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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