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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. kid — child
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — government
  14. content — the amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — tied together
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — obliged
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wave — with your hand

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