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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. charge — in control
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bound — certain
  6. root — of a word
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rule — a law
  9. rock — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. sharp — clever
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. branch — a division
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. saw — the tool

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