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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.

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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: last · object · wave · bowl · root · nail · dip · mine

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. last — final
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. object — a thing
  12. root — the cause
  13. last — finally
  14. root — of a word
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. object — to protest
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. object — an aim
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wave — with your hand

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