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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — the sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. last — final
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ball — a dance
  22. root — of a word
  23. last — finally
  24. wake — a trail

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