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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. root — the cause
  3. object — an aim
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. snap — to click
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. object — a thing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. land — to come down
  15. object — to protest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spring — the season
  19. root — of a word
  20. land — ground
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. land — a country
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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