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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chest — a box
  7. charge — a price
  8. foot — a measure
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — a lid
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — a division
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cap — a hat
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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