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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. season — of the year
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. root — the cause
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — farmland
  13. swing — music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. branch — a division

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