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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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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: wave · squash · band · arm · root · kick · fan · mine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. root — of a word
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a music group
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — for digging
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — in football
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — the cause
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. band — a ring

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