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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. shower — to wash
  13. charge — a price
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. charge — in control
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. shower — rain
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. file — a document
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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