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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. drill — the tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a document
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. root — of a word
  7. file — a line of people
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — ground
  14. file — a tool
  15. land — a country
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. drill — a practice
  24. charge — in control

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