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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. charge — a price
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. charge — in control
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. last — finally
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — in a computer

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