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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — in control
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ground — a position
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. face — part of the head
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. face — to confront
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — a price
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. charge — electricity

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