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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. charge — in control
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. present — there
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pop — soda
  10. lean — thin
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. present — a gift
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. present — the time now
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pop — music
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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