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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · toast · coach · last · charge · mouse · roll · clip

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. last — to go on
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. roll — a list
  7. last — final
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. roll — a cake
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. last — finally
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. clip — a video
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. charge — in control
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. root — of a word

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