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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: bay · present · wax · rush · charge · ground · coach · root

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. present — the time now
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. present — there
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — a gift
  11. rush — hurry
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — crushed
  15. root — of a word
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — to grow
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — a trainer

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