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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a dance
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. march — the month
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — of a word
  22. hand — help
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — to sink

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