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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — the season
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — to come from
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bass — the fish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — a price
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — part of the head

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