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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a word
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — temperature
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. toast — bread
  24. root — the cause

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