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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — a subject
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. object — an aim
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — electricity
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. plane — a tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. charge — in control
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. field — farmland
  24. lash — an eyelash

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