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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. root — the cause
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. root — of a word
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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