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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for golf
  15. root — of a word
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for dancing

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