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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — to come from
  5. roll — a list
  6. row — a line
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fine — all right
  9. charge — a price
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fine — high quality
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. roll — a cake
  23. row — to paddle
  24. squash — to crush

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