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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: rash · sharp · wave · rock · arm · charge · stem · net

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. charge — in control
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rock — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — after costs
  23. rash — a series
  24. stem — a stem cell

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