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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.

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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. sharp — clever
  23. charge — in control
  24. kick — a thrill

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