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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. kid — to tease
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. root — of a word
  6. chest — a box
  7. pound — a weight
  8. charge — a price
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bank — for money
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tube — a container
  22. kid — child
  23. root — the cause
  24. pound — for dogs

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