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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — a price
  4. stem — to come from
  5. foot — a measure
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — magic
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — a stick
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rest — a break
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. charge — in control
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — a short time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — electricity

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