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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. root — the cause
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — a tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — to cut
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a word
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — to paddle
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a line
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. charge — a price
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. clip — a video

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