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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — to handle
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. clip — to cut
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitch — completely
  9. clip — for paper
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — a video
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. charge — in control

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