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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 116 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: drill · mug · stem · charge · last · dip · cue · mine

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. last — final
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mug — a face
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — finally
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. last — to go on
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to sink
  24. charge — electricity

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