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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — of a word
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bound — obliged
  10. board — a committee
  11. bound — certain
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — to get on
  15. root — the cause
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. drill — the tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. drill — army training
  22. hand — help
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wind — moving air

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