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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
468
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: season · wave · bear · rest · game · fine · net · root

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — for catching
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fine — all right
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. root — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. game — wild animals
  11. root — the cause
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — of a word
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — in sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — a break
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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