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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — of a word
  3. mate — a partner
  4. board — a committee
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wake — a trail
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — temperature
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. degree — an amount
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mate — to breed
  24. degree — from a university

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