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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — in control
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — a price
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — of a plant
  9. charge — electricity
  10. present — the time now
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — the Cold War

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