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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — a division
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. toast — bread
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mark — a grade

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