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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wake — a trail
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. staff — a stick
  8. root — of a word
  9. mug — a cup
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mark — a grade
  13. object — an aim
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — a thing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. root — the cause
  23. object — to protest
  24. row — a quarrel

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