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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. charge — in control
  3. hand — in cards
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. root — of a word
  14. last — finally
  15. file — a document
  16. cue — for pool
  17. charge — a price
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — the cause
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — electricity

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