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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cell — in biology
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bank — of a river
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. root — the cause
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tear — to rip
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — from crying
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — moving air

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