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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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Word bank
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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: charge · face · mate · key · root · stick · leaves · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. band — a music group
  5. mate — a friend
  6. face — to confront
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. charge — a price
  9. root — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mate — to breed
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — in music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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