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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — a song
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pop — music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — soda
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stem — to come from
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — steady
  16. clip — a video
  17. charge — a price
  18. clip — for paper
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — to recline
  24. track — a path

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