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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — decided
  8. charge — in control
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. present — a gift
  13. firm — a company
  14. stem — to come from
  15. charge — a price
  16. cell — a phone
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — after costs

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