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

Word bank: charge · root · safe · plane · chest · wave · tear · degree

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. charge — electricity
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a word
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. root — the cause
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — a price
  23. chest — a box
  24. charge — in control

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