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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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 — to stop sleeping
  2. content — the amount
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. root — of a word
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — happy
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wake — a trail
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  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