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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — a group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — for golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kick — with a leg

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