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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. root — of a plant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. charge — in control
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to click
  23. season — in sport
  24. charge — a price

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