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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — a line
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. face — to point toward
  9. root — of a plant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stem — to come from
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. root — the cause
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — to confront
  23. lie — to recline
  24. root — of a word

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