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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wound — an injury
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — in control
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pop — to visit
  11. root — the cause
  12. last — to go on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. last — final
  17. snap — to click
  18. last — finally
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — a price
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pop — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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