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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. charge — in control
  3. last — to go on
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. mark — a grade
  8. root — the cause
  9. mark — a trace
  10. drill — army training
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. clip — to cut
  15. root — of a plant
  16. clip — a video
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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