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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: charge · suit · root · squash · lash · plane · clip · kid

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — the sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. suit — to fit
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. clip — for paper
  17. root — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. kid — to tease
  20. plane — a tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. clip — a video
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kid — child

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