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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. season — in sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hand — help
  9. kick — in football
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. season — of the year
  14. charge — a price
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rest — a break
  18. stem — to come from
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kick — a thrill

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