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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — of a word
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — certain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bound — tied together
  9. board — to get on
  10. bound — obliged
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — a partner
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — to breed
  24. root — the cause

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