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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. last — final
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — a line
  8. board — to get on
  9. swing — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — the cause
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — to paddle
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — a price
  16. last — to go on
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. root — of a plant
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. last — finally
  23. charge — in control
  24. board — a flat piece

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