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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — there
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. charge — electricity
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — in control
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bound — certain
  19. branch — a division
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stem — to come from

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