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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — a price
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. charge — in control
  24. mark — a trace

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