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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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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — magic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. object — an aim
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. object — a thing
  15. root — of a plant
  16. charge — in control
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — the cause
  19. deal — to handle
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lean — thin
  22. spell — letters
  23. object — to protest
  24. charge — a price

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