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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. present — the time now
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. last — finally
  11. present — a gift
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. club — for dancing
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. root — the cause
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — there
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — of a plant

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