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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — the underground
  9. root — of a plant
  10. charge — a price
  11. drill — the tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — army training
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. charge — electricity
  19. snap — to click
  20. drill — a practice
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cap — a hat
  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