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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. snap — to click
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. root — the cause
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — to recline
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — to go away
  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