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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. firm — decided
  3. root — the cause
  4. firm — steady
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — to sink
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. game — wild animals
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — of a word
  21. game — a match
  22. cold — an illness
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. prune — the fruit

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