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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a plant
  3. craft — boats
  4. tear — to rip
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — the cause
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — a measure
  12. craft — a skill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — a box
  16. tear — from crying
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. root — of a word
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. leaves — of a tree

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