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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — for money
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — of water
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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