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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. object — a thing
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. object — an aim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. object — to protest
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape

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