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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — letters
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. root — the cause
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — magic
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — a price
  23. root — of a word
  24. date — the fruit

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