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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 120 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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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: mate · wave · calf · root · clip · leaves · dip · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. clip — a video
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — a series
  9. root — of a plant
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. clip — for paper
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. clip — to cut
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — lets stay

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