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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: chip · root · tear · face · capital · date · object · wave

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. chip — for betting
  11. root — the cause
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. object — to protest
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to point toward
  16. date — the fruit
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — a thing
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to confront
  23. tear — from crying
  24. capital — a city

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