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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: kick · cap · charge · net · prune · saw · fall · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — the cause
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. net — in sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. charge — a price

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