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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: mate · dip · rash · rock · cap · fan · stem · charge

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rock — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — electricity

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