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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 116 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.

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: wake · root · track · spell · cap · rush · charge · stand

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — a path
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — a song
  21. root — the cause
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. root — of a word
  24. charge — in control

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