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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — of a word
  15. mine — for digging
  16. snap — to click
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kid — child
  23. root — the cause
  24. mine — belonging to me

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