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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. root — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stock — shares
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. root — the cause
  17. stock — goods
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tube — a container
  23. wax — in the ear
  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