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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 116 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: saw · bark · season · root · lash · charge · wind · cap

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. season — in sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — the cause
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cap — a lid
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. root — of a word
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — a price
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bark — to shout
  24. saw — the tool

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