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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hand — help
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — in control
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — a hat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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