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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · lean · drill · capital · scale · root · ruler · charge

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. charge — electricity
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. drill — a practice
  9. capital — a city
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. root — the cause
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lean — to bend
  16. capital — money
  17. drill — the tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. root — of a word
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. scale — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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