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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fall — the season
  13. charge — a price
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. root — of a word
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. staff — employees

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