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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — an aim
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — a thing
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — all right
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — to protest
  19. wake — a trail
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. root — of a word
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. trunk — of a tree

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