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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bank — for money

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