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

Word bank: mate · row · root · wave · pit · spell · staff · fall

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — the cause
  9. spell — letters
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fall — the season
  15. row — a line
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. root — of a word
  20. fall — to drop
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — to breed

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