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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 · root · bat · trunk · charge · leaves · club · tear

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. charge — a price
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. bat — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. root — of a word
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. charge — electricity
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. root — the cause
  22. club — a group
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — for golf

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