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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. root — the cause
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a song
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. swing — in golf
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a path
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. squash — the sport
  22. swing — music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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