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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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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: wave · stem · charge · safe · club · wound · wind · rule

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — government
  4. charge — a price
  5. wound — an injury
  6. club — for dancing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. charge — electricity
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rule — a law
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wave — of the sea

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