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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. roll — a list
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. snap — to click
  15. bass — low music
  16. root — of a word
  17. march — the month
  18. root — the cause
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. roll — a cake
  24. content — happy

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