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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: rule · charge · squash · trunk · root · wave · pit · kick

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rule — government
  3. charge — electricity
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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