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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mug — a face
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mug — to rob
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rule — government
  9. deal — to handle
  10. field — a subject
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. face — to confront
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — for sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — a trail
  24. field — farmland

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