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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 124 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — electricity
  5. land — ground
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — in a race
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. land — a country
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — to come down
  24. last — final

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