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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: fan · root · clip · charge · kid · pop · wax · squash

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — a price
  8. root — the cause
  9. kid — child
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. clip — a video
  13. kid — to tease
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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