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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — farmland
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lean — to bend
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tube — a container
  15. field — for sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lean — thin
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stem — a stem cell

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