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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. snap — to click
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. root — the cause
  8. charge — a price
  9. root — of a word
  10. rush — hurry
  11. key — the most important part
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — in music
  18. hand — in cards

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