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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. net — after costs
  9. snap — to click
  10. root — of a plant
  11. net — for catching
  12. kid — to tease
  13. degree — temperature
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. net — in sport
  19. kid — child
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a word
  22. degree — from a university
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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