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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — a weight
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. root — the cause
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — to protest
  20. sharp — clever
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. track — a song
  24. root — of a plant

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