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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. root — of a word
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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