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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. capital — a city
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — a practice
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. capital — money

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