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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 · mate · bore · branch · degree · spell · charge · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — letters
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — a price
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fall — the season
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spell — magic
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mate — a friend

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