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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — to come from
  6. foot — a measure
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — ground
  10. fall — the season
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — a lid
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — in control
  20. cap — of ice
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. key — in music

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