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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 120 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: stem · bulb · charge · season · mate · capital · hide · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. season — of the year
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lean — thin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — in control
  8. capital — money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — in sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a friend
  22. capital — a city
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — a partner

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