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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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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: mate · root · charge · present · land · bound · kick · saw

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. land — ground
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — a gift
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. charge — in control
  10. root — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. present — the time now
  14. bound — obliged
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — in football
  17. present — there
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. root — the cause
  23. charge — electricity
  24. land — a country

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