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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ground — the earth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. band — a ring
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. charge — in control
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — a price
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. scale — size or range

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