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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cold — an illness
  6. tube — a container
  7. mug — to rob
  8. squash — to crush
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mug — a face
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. charge — in control
  24. root — of a word

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