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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — for sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — a subject
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mine — for digging
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. field — farmland
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — a price

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