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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rash — a series
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cap — a lid
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — of ice

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