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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. land — ground
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cell — in biology
  13. charge — in control
  14. cell — a phone
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. root — of a word
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. season — of the year
  23. charge — a price
  24. pass — to succeed

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