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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 · mug · roll · saw · lean · cue · root · tube

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — a container
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — thin
  11. root — of a word
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. root — the cause
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. root — of a plant
  17. roll — a list
  18. cue — a hint
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cue — for pool
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — a signal

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