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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 · clip · charge · spring · deal · bay · lash · capital

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. charge — electricity
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spring — the season
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — of a word
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spring — a coil
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — of water
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — the cause
  22. capital — a city
  23. clip — a video
  24. lash — an eyelash

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