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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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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 · wind · deal · charge · land · kick · fine · temple

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. land — ground
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. land — to come down
  5. wind — moving air
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. root — the cause
  10. land — a country
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — in football
  17. fine — all right
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. charge — electricity
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  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