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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 120 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: degree · content · rest · charge · net · stem · face · wave

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — happy
  20. rest — a break
  21. degree — temperature
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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