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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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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. roll — a list
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. roll — a cake
  15. root — of a plant
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — the cause
  22. mug — a face
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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