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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — in control
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — a grade
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — a trace
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. prune — to trim

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