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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mug — a face
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chair — a leader
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mug — a cup
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fork — to eat with
  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