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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — for sport
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rest — a break
  18. hand — in cards
  19. root — of a word
  20. band — a ring
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. band — a music group
  24. wake — before a funeral

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