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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. charge — a price
  3. present — there
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. board — a committee
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — electricity
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — to get on
  24. wax — in the ear

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