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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. court — of law
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — music
  17. root — of a word
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — of a king
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — the cause
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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