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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
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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: wave · squash · track · last · tube · fan · content · root

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — finally
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. last — final
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — of a word
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — to go on
  24. content — videos and posts

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