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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. root — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — in control
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — hasty
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — boats
  24. march — the month

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