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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a word
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a plant
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. charge — a price
  8. cap — a lid
  9. root — the cause
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — of ice
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cold — not warm
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — boats
  18. charge — in control
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cold — an illness

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