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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — the cause
  4. fall — the season
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — a phone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. season — in sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. face — to point toward
  24. leaves — to go away

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