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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — employees
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — the cause
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — all right
  11. root — of a plant
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — in music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. present — there
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. present — the time now
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. present — a gift

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