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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — in control
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. club — for golf
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. cap — a hat
  12. root — of a word
  13. cap — of ice
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — the cause
  19. charge — a price
  20. club — a group
  21. root — of a plant
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — electricity

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