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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. sharp — clever
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chair — a leader
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chest — a box
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — of a word
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. band — a music group
  23. root — the cause
  24. bay — a horse colour

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