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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. root — the cause
  3. tube — a container
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — help
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — to protest
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. object — a thing
  18. root — of a plant

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