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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.

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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: cold · chair · ruler · wind · sharp · root · charge · craft

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. charge — a price
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. root — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. charge — in control
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — the cause
  9. charge — electricity
  10. craft — boats
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cold — an illness
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. root — of a word
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wind — to turn a key

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