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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. press — to push
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. mate — a friend
  24. charge — a price

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