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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. race — the arms race
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kid — to tease
  12. capital — money
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. root — the cause
  16. kid — child
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pound — a weight
  20. capital — a city
  21. race — humankind
  22. hand — help
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. race — a contest

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