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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. object — to protest
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — in control
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. object — an aim
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stem — to come from
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — a thing
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. swing — music
  18. row — a line
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — in sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. charge — a price

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