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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — for catching
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — to recline
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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