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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to point toward
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — size or range
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — in control
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rest — a break
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — electricity
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. face — to confront

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