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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. shower — rain
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lean — thin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. charge — electricity
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stem — of a plant

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