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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — rain
  5. root — of a plant
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. season — in sport
  10. shower — to wash
  11. root — of a word
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rock — a stone
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — music
  24. season — of the year

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