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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: cell · last · wind · root · spell · wave · field · stick

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — letters
  7. cell — in biology
  8. root — the cause
  9. last — finally
  10. field — farmland
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spell — magic
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. last — to go on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — a subject
  20. last — final
  21. field — for sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. root — of a word
  24. wave — with your hand

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