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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spell — magic
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kid — child
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — the season
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. spell — letters
  23. root — the cause
  24. racket — for tennis

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