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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: straw · wind · charge · root · mouse · spell · bear · last

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — in control
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spell — magic
  6. root — the cause
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — to go on
  20. wind — moving air
  21. last — final
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spell — letters
  24. straw — a straw man

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