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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. rule — government
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rule — a law
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. season — in sport
  22. lean — thin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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