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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — in sport

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