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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: kid · lie · rock · charge · tube · root · wound · fall

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kid — child
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — to recline
  6. charge — in control
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. root — of a word
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — a container
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — the season
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kid — to tease

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