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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — the cause
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. foot — a measure
  8. season — in sport
  9. roll — a cake
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — of the year
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spring — of water
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. roll — a list
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — a coil

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