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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. present — a gift
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. charge — a price
  12. present — there
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. charge — electricity
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — to come from
  18. present — the time now
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. squash — the sport
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. charge — in control

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