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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 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. kid — child
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a song
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wind — moving air
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. can — to be able to
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. kid — to tease
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — to breed

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