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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chip — for betting
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. clip — a video

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