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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. key — in music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a dance
  7. clip — a video
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — clothes
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — in control
  21. mark — a grade
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mark — a trace

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