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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · face · tear · leaves · last · root · charge · bear

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — from crying
  4. face — to confront
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. kid — child
  12. last — to go on
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. tear — to rip
  23. face — part of the head
  24. leaves — lets stay

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