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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — to rip
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — to go away

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