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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — for betting
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — for digging
  24. perch — for a bird

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