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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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Word bank
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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. root — of a word
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. firm — decided
  8. hand — in cards
  9. firm — a company
  10. hand — help
  11. root — the cause
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wound — an injury
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — steady
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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