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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: charge · bulb · bay · cue · rush · root · rest · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — hurry
  8. root — of a word
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — the cause
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rest — a break
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a plant
  23. charge — a price
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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