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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. capital — money
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — clever
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rush — hurry
  19. snap — to click
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — a city
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. capital — a big letter

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