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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cold — not warm
  12. press — to push
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. charge — in control
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ball — a great time

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