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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. content — the amount
  7. press — a publisher
  8. content — happy
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — in control
  15. stem — to come from
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — to push
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. shower — rain
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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