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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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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 · suit · snap · stick · rash · board · bear · charge

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — a series
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. root — of a word
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — in control
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — a price
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. board — to get on

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