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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. content — happy
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — a cup
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. club — for golf
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — the cause
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. root — of a word
  22. club — a group
  23. rest — a break
  24. content — the amount

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