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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kick — in football
  4. land — to come down
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. charge — a price
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a word
  10. land — a country
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. land — ground
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — a match
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. root — of a plant

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