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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: bear · wave · root · deal · fine · rest · capital · coach

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — all right
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. root — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — money

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