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

Word bank: rest · bear · wave · squash · saw · lie · fine · root

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a word
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. root — of a plant
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fine — all right
  22. lie — to recline
  23. root — the cause
  24. wave — of the sea

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