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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 116 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 · sharp · stem · wind · mine · lash · root · swing

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. root — of a plant
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wind — moving air
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wind — to turn a key

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