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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. fork — in a road
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. face — to confront
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. root — of a word

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