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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. key — in music
  3. root — of a word
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tube — a container
  6. can — to be able to
  7. root — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — final
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. key — for a lock
  16. last — finally
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — all right
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — to go on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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