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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. firm — decided
  3. last — to go on
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — finally
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. present — the time now
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — final
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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