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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to click
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — a price
  16. craft — a skill
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. charge — in control
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. craft — boats
  24. tear — from crying

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