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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. root — of a word
  9. lean — thin
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wave — with your hand

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