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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: root · cap · court · charge · clip · wake · tube · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — of ice
  3. root — of a plant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cap — a lid
  6. court — of a king
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. charge — in control
  12. clip — for paper
  13. court — of law
  14. tube — a container
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. clip — a video
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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