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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. charge — electricity
  5. root — the cause
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rash — a series
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. roll — a list
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — hasty
  16. root — of a word
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. charge — in control
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. charge — a price

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