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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: root · hand · charge · fine · press · leaves · wound · spell

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spell — letters
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. root — the cause
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — of a plant
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spell — magic
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — in cards
  15. spell — a short time
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — a price
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. root — of a word
  24. wound — an injury

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