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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kick — in football
  4. spring — of water
  5. root — of a word
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. root — the cause
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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