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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 124 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: wind · nail · root · bear · season · wave · coach · rest

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. season — of the year
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wind — moving air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — the cause
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rest — a break
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rest — what's left

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