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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. plane — a tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bat — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — of a word
  24. trunk — of a car

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