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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — the season
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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