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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mate — a friend
  5. kick — in football
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pound — a weight
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — a price
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lean — thin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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