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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · dip · root · net · rush · wave · prune · bay

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. root — of a word
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — to go on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. root — the cause
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. net — for catching
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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