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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pop — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. band — a music group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. band — a ring
  15. pop — soda
  16. ground — crushed
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — a position
  23. root — the cause
  24. leaves — to go away

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