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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — a series
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. shower — rain
  15. staff — a stick
  16. shower — to wash
  17. charge — a price
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. charge — in control
  21. rule — a law
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — hasty

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