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

Word bank: tear · cell · bound · wave · jam · bay · root · row

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. row — a line
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cell — a phone
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bound — certain
  21. tear — from crying
  22. root — of a word
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bay — a part 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