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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. toast — bread
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. degree — an amount
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mine — for digging
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. root — the cause
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. roll — a cake
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. degree — temperature
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. dip — to sink
  24. degree — from a university

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