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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. game — a match
  3. root — the cause
  4. charge — electricity
  5. root — of a word
  6. file — a tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mark — a trace
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — a price
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. game — wild animals
  15. branch — a division
  16. file — a line of people
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — in control
  19. file — a document
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. root — of a plant

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