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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 120 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: charge · band · leaves · tear · suit · foot · root · net

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. band — a music group
  4. root — the cause
  5. suit — in cards
  6. charge — in control
  7. suit — clothes
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tear — to rip
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — a measure
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — for catching
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a ring
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — in sport
  24. band — a rubber band

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