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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 116 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. capital — a city
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pop — soda
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — to visit
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. safe — out of danger

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