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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · face · foot · lean · ground · spell · bat · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lean — thin
  6. ground — the earth
  7. charge — a price
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — in control
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — electricity

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