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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. track — a path
  4. root — the cause
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — to recline
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. capital — a city
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a song
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. wound — an injury
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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