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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. last — to go on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. last — final
  7. root — the cause
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a match
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cell — a phone
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — of a word
  23. cell — in biology
  24. last — finally

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