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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: chest · root · wave · wake · calf · key · march · tear

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chest — a box
  4. wake — a trail
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tear — from crying
  12. root — of a word
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. march — the month

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