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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — the season
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chest — a box

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