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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. present — the time now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — help
  11. charge — electricity
  12. present — a gift
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mine — for digging
  24. present — there

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