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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 120 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
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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: spell · charge · ball · saw · fine · root · rock · chest

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rock — music
  7. charge — a price
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chest — of your body
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — a stone
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. spell — letters
  22. fine — high quality
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — a penalty

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