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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. spring — of water
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stem — to come from
  7. roll — a cake
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. roll — a list
  11. chest — a box
  12. swing — music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. charge — a price
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spring — the season
  23. charge — in control
  24. bowl — to roll

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