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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mark — a grade
  3. march — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to confront
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — for betting
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — a tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — electricity

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