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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — the earth
  9. root — of a plant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. roll — a list
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. root — the cause
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lean — to bend
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ground — crushed
  20. root — of a word
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  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