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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — in cards
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — to confront
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. root — of a word
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. face — part of the head
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — clothes
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cold — an illness
  21. tube — the underground
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. tube — in a tire

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