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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 124 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — in control
  5. board — a committee
  6. track — to keep track
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — a path
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — letters
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spell — magic
  16. tear — to rip
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — a song
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. content — the amount
  24. tear — from crying

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