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

Word bank: cell · land · charge · lean · cabinet · present · pound · snap

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — in biology
  4. land — to come down
  5. charge — in control
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. present — the time now
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. present — a gift
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. land — a country
  17. cell — a phone
  18. snap — to click
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. land — ground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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