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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. club — for golf
  3. band — a music group
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. band — a ring
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — a break
  24. band — a rubber band

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