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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — happening now
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — in control
  13. tube — a container
  14. bass — low music
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — electricity

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