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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. charge — a price
  3. lean — thin
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a song
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — to bend
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kick — in football
  20. charge — in control
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lean — to rest against

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