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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. charge — electricity
  3. swing — music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. charge — a price
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — in control
  24. swing — in golf

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