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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. snap — to click
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — a country
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. land — to come down
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. root — of a word
  22. fall — the season
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — to rip

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