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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.

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: face · trunk · charge · patient · present · stem · leaves · bat

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. charge — a price
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. charge — electricity
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. present — a gift
  18. bat — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. face — to point toward
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — lets stay

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