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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — electricity
  4. kick — in football
  5. root — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — in control
  10. march — the month
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. face — to confront
  18. march — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. press — to push
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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