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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — a price
  5. toast — bread
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — a coil
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. root — of a word
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — the cause
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. charge — electricity
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. charge — in control
  22. date — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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