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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. object — an aim
  4. firm — steady
  5. charge — in control
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — to protest
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mug — to rob
  13. charge — electricity
  14. object — a thing
  15. mug — a face
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. swing — to play on
  19. kid — child
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. kid — to tease
  24. firm — decided

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