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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. charge — in control
  5. present — there
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. craft — boats
  9. pit — in a race
  10. present — a gift
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mine — for digging
  22. charge — a price
  23. lean — thin
  24. cell — in a prison

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