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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. band — a ring
  3. root — the cause
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. roll — a list
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. roll — a cake
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mate — a partner
  20. sharp — clever
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. band — a music group

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