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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. shower — to wash
  3. charge — electricity
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. charge — in control
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. root — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — army training
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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