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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. kid — child
  6. root — of a word
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — to tease
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — the cause
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — a series
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. land — to come down

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