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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. object — to protest
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pit — in a race
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. cold — not warm
  19. object — a thing
  20. root — the cause
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pit — a hole
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cold — an illness

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