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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. content — the amount
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — the season
  10. fine — all right
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. spell — letters
  13. fine — high quality
  14. can — to be able to
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. root — the cause
  20. spell — magic
  21. content — happy
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — a division

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