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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · trunk · roll · mug · file · charge · root · bass

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. roll — a cake
  5. charge — a price
  6. mug — a face
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. roll — a list
  14. file — a line of people
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. root — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. root — of a word
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. file — a document
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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