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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — to come from
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. spell — letters
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — magic
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. swing — music

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