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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — steady
  16. bulb — for light
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. root — the cause
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — of a word

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