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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. march — the month
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. march — the month
  5. track — to keep track
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to click
  14. march — music
  15. charge — in control
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. track — a song
  24. spell — magic

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