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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chest — of your body
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. tube — a container
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chest — a box
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. staff — a stick
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wound — an injury

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