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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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