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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. club — for golf
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — of a word
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rush — hurry
  12. last — to go on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — final
  18. bound — tied together
  19. last — finally
  20. club — a group
  21. bound — certain
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. club — for dancing

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