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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. land — to come down
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — a country
  10. game — wild animals
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stem — to come from
  15. game — a match
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. charge — a price
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — of a plant

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