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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pop — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. charge — in control
  15. tear — to rip
  16. suit — clothes
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — soda
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. perch — the fish

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