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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: rash · mouse · wake · root · plane · ground · cell · wave

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — of a word
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. root — the cause
  12. ground — a position
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rash — a series
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rash — on the skin

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