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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. plane — a tool
  18. face — to confront
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — part of the head

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