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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: clip · spell · stem · row · face · shower · rush · charge

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. spell — letters
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. row — to paddle
  6. clip — to cut
  7. shower — rain
  8. clip — a video
  9. charge — in control
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spell — magic
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — a price
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. face — to point toward
  17. row — a line
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stem — to come from
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rush — hurry
  24. face — to confront

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