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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 120 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: board · file · trunk · root · staff · charge · wake · lash

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — a trail
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — a stick
  9. file — a tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. charge — in control
  18. file — a line of people
  19. board — a committee
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. file — a document
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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