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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
468
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 · field · wave · hide · bound · last · charge · foot

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. root — the cause
  7. last — finally
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — of a plant
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. last — to go on
  18. charge — in control
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. last — final
  22. root — of a word
  23. bound — tied together
  24. field — a subject

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