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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. root — of a word
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bat — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — farmland
  14. root — the cause
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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