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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: root · chair · last · wave · suit · charge · tear · plane

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — to fit
  5. last — final
  6. suit — clothes
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — in control
  22. last — to go on
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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