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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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Word bank
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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. degree — an amount
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. race — a contest
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — temperature
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. degree — from a university
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. object — an aim
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. root — of a word
  24. wake — a trail

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