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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. charge — a price
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — the cause
  8. charge — electricity
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — in football
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. present — a gift
  18. charge — in control
  19. march — music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — the time now
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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