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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. court — of a king
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. court — for sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lean — thin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — of law
  23. perch — the fish
  24. root — of a plant

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