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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. root — of a word
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  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