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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. charge — in control
  8. season — in sport
  9. rash — a series
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — the fish
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. snap — to click
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — low music

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