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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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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: charge · dip · net · arm · wind · deal · wake · root

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. wake — a trail
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. net — for catching
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. net — after costs
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — in sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. dip — to sink
  23. deal — to handle
  24. charge — a price

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