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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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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: rest · field · rock · wave · root · date · straw · bay

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. field — for sport
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. field — a subject
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. field — farmland
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. root — of a word
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rest — a break
  21. rock — music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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