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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. root — the cause
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — a price
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. root — of a word
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. charge — in control
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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