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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. present — a gift
  9. current — happening now
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wax — to grow
  15. root — the cause
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — electric
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ground — the earth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ground — a position

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