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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — a trace
  10. charge — in control
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — to drill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cue — a hint

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