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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — a price
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mate — a partner
  13. root — the cause
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. key — the most important part
  16. root — of a word
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — of a plant
  19. key — in music
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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