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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. present — there
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — the time now
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. present — a gift
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — a price
  22. bear — the animal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bear — to put up with

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