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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ground — a position
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — a price
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — in control
  14. ground — crushed
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — 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