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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: stem · band · fine · field · dip · snap · charge · rush

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. field — farmland
  5. charge — in control
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fine — high quality
  8. band — a ring
  9. fine — all right
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. field — for sport
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. band — a music group
  15. snap — to click
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. charge — a price
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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