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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: mug · charge · lie · arm · jam · stem · spring · bat

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — the animal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spring — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. mug — a face
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — the season

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