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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — electricity
  4. field — for sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. swing — in golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stem — to come from
  12. swing — music
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — a subject
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. field — farmland
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — a leader
  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