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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.

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: wake · rash · mine · jam · field · wave · spell · root

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. root — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — for digging
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wake — a trail
  24. root — the cause

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