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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. root — of a word
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — in music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. root — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. root — the cause
  18. clip — a video
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. scale — size or range

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