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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — magic
  11. cell — in biology
  12. spell — a short time
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — soda
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. root — of a word

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