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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. root — the cause
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — of a word
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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