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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: charge · root · straw · last · field · wave · lean · wake

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. charge — in control
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. field — for sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. field — a subject
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. field — farmland
  10. last — to go on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. charge — a price
  19. root — of a word
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — of the sea

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