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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. charge — in control
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a music group
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. face — to confront
  16. charge — electricity
  17. last — final
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — to point toward
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. band — a ring
  24. mug — to rob

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