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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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468
Word bank
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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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 — a sudden rise
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — a phone
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pit — in a race
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. foot — a measure
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pit — a hole
  21. root — of a word
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wave — of the sea

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