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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — the cause
  15. cold — not warm
  16. shower — rain
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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