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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. capital — a city
  10. fall — the season
  11. firm — a company
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — of a word
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — the cause
  17. firm — steady
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. firm — decided
  24. band — a music group

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