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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 · present · cell · leaves · saw · field · lie · cap

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lie — to recline
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cell — in biology
  10. charge — electricity
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — in control
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — there
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cell — a phone
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. charge — a price
  24. field — farmland

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