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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. root — of a plant
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — the cause
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. drill — army training
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — a hat
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cap — of ice
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — to confront
  21. game — a match
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hide — animal skin

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