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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. club — for dancing
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. club — for golf
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — letters
  11. root — the cause
  12. spell — magic
  13. rash — a series
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. branch — a division
  17. board — to get on
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — of a word
  20. board — a committee
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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