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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rest — a break
  8. root — of a plant
  9. charge — in control
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kick — in football
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — electricity
  24. root — of a word

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