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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rash — hasty
  8. root — the cause
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rest — a break
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — of a word

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