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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. plane — a tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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