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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rest — a break
  12. root — of a word
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. date — the fruit
  19. root — the cause
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bark — of a tree

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