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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — a price
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — magic
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lean — thin
  24. arm — a part of something

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