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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spring — of water
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spring — the season
  17. charge — in control
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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