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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. squash — to crush
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — rain
  11. cap — of ice
  12. last — final
  13. root — of a word
  14. firm — a company
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cap — a lid
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. last — finally
  24. root — the cause

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