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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. root — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. land — ground
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. scale — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. scale — size or range
  23. land — a country
  24. swing — in golf

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