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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. row — a line
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. swing — in golf
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. wake — a trail
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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