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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: bear · rest · ground · cabinet · cold · mug · charge · root

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mug — a face
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ground — a position
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. mug — a cup
  9. root — of a word
  10. charge — a price
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rest — a break
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — crushed

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