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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. root — the cause
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. snap — to click
  12. root — of a word
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pass — a permit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pass — to succeed

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