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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ground — crushed
  4. charge — a price
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — a position
  18. file — a document

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