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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — a line
  9. stem — to come from
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. court — of a king
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. court — of law
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kick — in football

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