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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wind — moving air
  3. field — farmland
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. field — a subject
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — of a word
  17. field — for sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. content — the amount
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. plane — a 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