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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. content — videos and posts
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. root — of a word
  7. ball — a great time
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — thin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. content — happy
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. root — the cause
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. clip — a video
  22. root — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  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