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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mate — a partner
  6. root — of a word
  7. mate — to breed
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — a friend
  18. race — humankind
  19. row — a line
  20. land — a country
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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