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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spell — letters
  3. charge — electricity
  4. root — of a word
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. object — an aim
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — in control
  12. row — to paddle
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — a price
  15. rock — music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. object — to protest
  18. rock — a stone
  19. root — of a plant
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spell — magic
  22. object — a thing
  23. row — a line
  24. root — the cause

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