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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — in control
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a ring
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. root — the cause
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. season — to add flavour

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