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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. land — to come down
  5. bore — to drill
  6. root — the cause
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — of a plant
  10. capital — money
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. land — a country
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. land — ground
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — of a word
  18. current — electric
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to tire
  21. current — of water
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — to shout

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