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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. face — to confront
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — a price
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — to wash
  8. root — of a word
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. face — part of the head
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — in control
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. kid — child
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — to tease

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