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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. foot — a measure
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. row — a line
  7. mark — a trace
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. charge — electricity
  10. row — to paddle
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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