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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. root — the cause
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — of ice
  6. file — a tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — all right
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bound — certain
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mate — a partner
  20. file — a document
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. root — of a word

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