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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — in control
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rule — government
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — a law
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fine — high quality
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — electricity
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — ground

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