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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.

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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. root — the cause
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. root — of a word
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lean — thin
  24. cold — not warm

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