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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · tube · wave · mug · pop · root

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tube — a container
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pop — music
  9. mug — a face
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pop — soda
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. root — the cause
  18. leaves — to go away

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