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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. root — of a word
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — boats
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. craft — a skill
  22. root — the cause
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fine — a penalty

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