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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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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: key · lash · bear · band · fall · root · face · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. key — for a lock
  10. root — of a word
  11. band — a music group
  12. root — of a plant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a ring

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