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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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Word bank
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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. object — a thing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. object — to protest

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