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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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 — with your hand
  2. stem — to come from
  3. race — the arms race
  4. root — of a plant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. race — a contest
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. staff — a stick
  22. race — humankind
  23. staff — employees
  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