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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. track — to keep track
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — of a word
  15. rule — government
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chair — a leader
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — the cause
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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