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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · root · safe · dip · board · wave · season · cold

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. root — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. dip — to sink
  7. root — of a word
  8. face — to point toward
  9. root — the cause
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cold — not warm
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. face — part of the head
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — an illness
  20. face — to confront
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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