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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.

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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 · bulb · face · root · drill · charge · fork · chip

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. charge — in control
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fork — in a road
  13. charge — a price
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. face — to point toward
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. root — of a word

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