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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: root · coach · wave · branch · last · pop · kick · wind

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. kick — in football
  3. pop — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. last — to go on
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. last — final
  14. root — of a word
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — a division
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — finally
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. branch — of a tree

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