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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stem — to come from
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. charge — electricity
  13. toast — bread
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mate — to breed
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — a price
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stem — a stem cell

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