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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. root — the cause
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tear — from crying
  8. root — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — to rip
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — a price
  14. season — of the year
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — in sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. charge — in control

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