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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fine — all right
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mine — for digging
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. mark — to pay attention

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