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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kick — in football
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — the season
  24. kick — a thrill

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