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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. content — happy
  2. root — the cause
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — in football
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — electricity
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — a price
  16. root — of a word
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — of a plant
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  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