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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 124 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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. roll — a list
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — a group
  20. bat — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — for dancing
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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