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

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. band — a ring
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — happy
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spell — letters
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. charge — in control
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. root — of a word
  21. cap — a hat
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. root — the cause

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