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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — a break
  14. root — the cause
  15. suit — in cards
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. root — of a word
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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