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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — in sport
  5. rock — music
  6. object — to protest
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — of the year
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — an aim
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rest — a break
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — a stone
  21. object — a thing
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rock — to move gently

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