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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. root — of a word
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — army training
  13. root — of a plant
  14. charge — a price
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — a line
  19. squash — to crush
  20. charge — electricity
  21. drill — a practice
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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