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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. charge — in control
  3. root — of a word
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. root — the cause
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. cold — not warm
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cold — an illness
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. roll — a cake
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. roll — a list

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