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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: root · hand · club · ruler · track · clip · wave · dip

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. track — a path
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — in cards
  5. clip — to cut
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. club — for golf
  8. root — the cause
  9. clip — for paper
  10. track — a song
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — a group
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. track — to keep track
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — to sink
  20. clip — a video
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hand — help
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hand — part of the body

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