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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. root — the cause
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to confront
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. court — for sport
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. face — part of the head
  20. land — ground
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lean — thin

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