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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — a price
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. clip — a video
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pound — a weight
  10. kick — in football
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pound — to hit hard

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