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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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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. land — to come down
  7. kid — to tease
  8. root — of a word
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. club — for dancing
  16. charge — electricity
  17. land — a country
  18. squash — the sport
  19. land — ground
  20. club — a group
  21. charge — in control
  22. kid — child
  23. squash — to crush
  24. club — for golf

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