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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. land — a country
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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