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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — in sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. face — to point toward
  9. season — of the year
  10. chair — a leader
  11. face — to confront
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ball — a dance
  20. root — of a word
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wind — moving air

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