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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — a price
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mine — an explosive
  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