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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. root — of a word
  3. charge — in control
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. row — a line
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. root — the cause
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. root — of a plant
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rock — a stone
  24. drill — the tool

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