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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lean — thin
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. deal — to handle
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lean — to bend
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. firm — decided
  22. root — of a word
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — with your hand

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