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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spring — of water
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — electric
  17. spring — a coil
  18. current — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. press — a publisher
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — a price

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