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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ball — a great time
  3. key — in music
  4. charge — in control
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. charge — a price
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lean — to bend
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — to grow
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — thin
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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