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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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. hand — help
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. present — the time now
  11. wind — moving air
  12. root — the cause
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. present — there
  17. rock — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — a stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — a gift
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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