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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. charge — a price
  18. ground — a position
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ground — the earth
  23. roll — a list
  24. chest — a box

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