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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — child
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pop — soda
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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