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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rest — a break
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. root — of a word

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