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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · cabinet · hide · field · lean · charge · capital · stem

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — a subject
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stem — to come from
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. capital — a city
  19. lean — thin
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hide — to keep secret

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