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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: wave · bowl · rash · hide · root · key · ruler · chair

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — of a word
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. root — of a plant
  7. key — in music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — the cause
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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