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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tube — a container
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. root — the cause
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tube — in a tire

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