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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — the cause
  5. stock — goods
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — a container
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in biology
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. charge — a price
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stock — shares
  19. rash — a series
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. charge — in control
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. root — of a word

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