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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. root — the cause
  4. season — of the year
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. season — in sport
  9. spell — magic
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — letters
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. wind — moving air

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